Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Bettman's 14 years and counting

Yahoo's Dan Wetzel gets his dander up on the upcoming anniversary of Gary Bettman's installation as commissioner of the NHL.

This is Bettman's NHL. Fourteen years, four bankruptcies, three franchise moves, two lockouts, one lost season and no effective leadership.
This is one of the milder quotes from Wetzel, as he picks apart Bettman's NHL.

It's hard to disagree with his point on the whole, but some of the arguments Wetzel makes are just nonsense.

Teams play eight games per season against division foes, or 32 a year against just four teams.

Bettman claimed it would spawn "new" rivalries. Of course, old rivalries such as Detroit-Toronto – two hockey-mad towns separated by a single highway that actually has an exit for Wayne Gretzky Blvd. – no longer play a home-and-home series each season. It's like killing Red Sox-Yankees so Blue Jays-Diamondbacks might catch on.
First, because they play in opposite conferences, Detroit and Toronto would play only two games against each other under the old, balanced schedule. The Red Sox and Yankees -- playing in the same division within MLB's unbalanced schedule -- face each other 19 times each season. Not quite the same, is it?

Second, the reason Detroit and Toronto had a rivalry is because they've been playing each other for almost 80 years. And while I agree that eight regular season games does not a rivalry make, I don't think this is a downfall on the NHL. Familiarity breeds contempt, after all.

Still, true rivalries are only born in one place -- the playoffs. If you meet the same team in the playoffs over and over again, a natural hatred ensues simply because the playoffs are it -- lose and you're done.

When the same team ends your season year after year, well, just ask Dallas and Edmonton what they think of each other. These two teams have absolutely nothing in common, except for the fact that they met in the playoffs every year from 1997 until 2001 and again in 2003 -- and there's certainly no love lost between them.

Love him or hate him, and there's probably many more of the latter, Bettman is here for a while. Fans either need to get on board with him or get out of the way.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Nothing doing for Flyers, Forsberg

After meeting earlier today, the Flyers and Peter Forsberg have decided to not make a decision on his future.

"We said that we have to figure out the foot before we talk about anything else," Forsberg told reporters after the meeting. "And that's what we're going to focus on."

Until the 33-year-old Swede feels any better, it's useless to talk about a possible trade.

"Everybody is looking at the trading deadline and talking about that but it's just so far out of the question right now," Forsberg said.

The ball was clearly out . . .

The Associated Press files a report today on the use of instant replay in professional tennis. Some players like it -- Andy Roddick and James Blake, notably -- and some don't -- count Roger Federer in this camp.

Here's Roddick on the system: "I think it's great what they've done with the challenge system," Roddick said. "I think it takes a lot of the question out of it."

Blake: "It humbles the players sometimes. It humbles the officials sometimes. And I think it's great because we're probably both too arrogant at times. The players always think they're right and the umpires always think they're right, and it shows that neither of us are always right."

And here's Federer, arguably the greatest to ever play the game, on challenges: "I think it's nonsense," he said. "Now they can hide even more behind these calls. We would like to be able to rely a little bit on umpires. They tend to now just let us do the work, the tough stuff. They let us get embarrassed, basically."

Personally, I'm all for the instant replay system -- which gives players two challenges per set -- with one caveat. I don't think it should be used in a tournament unless it is available on every court. Otherwise, matches are being played under different conditions, which, I think, erodes the credibility of the tournament.

Still, I think Blake sums it up best: "As long as the fans like it," Blake said, "I say we keep it."

NHLPA civil war looming?

Damien Cox posts today about the ongoing feud within the NHL Players' Association. The player representatives for each team recently approved an investigation into the hiring of Ted Saskin, the Association's executive director.

This has been a very strange situation from the beginning, with the charge against Saskin being led by former NHLer Trent Klatt and current Detroit Red Wing -- and Dynamo 26 Enemy #1 -- Chris Chelios. It's hard to say where this will lead. Regardless of what may happen to Saskin, for the good of the game here's hoping that the resolution of this does not see the reinstatement of Bob Goodenow.

Friday, January 26, 2007

"Are you saying you want a piece of me?"

Tim Panaccio reports in this morning's Inquirer that Todd Fedoruk took a shot at teammate Joni Pitkanen in practice yesterday. Panaccio noted that things "have become tense on a club that went into the all-star break with an eight-game losing streak."

I saw footage of the incident on Comcast last night. A large group of players were milling around by the boards, while Fedoruk and Pitkanen were jawing back and forth. After a few seconds Fedoruk threw a right to Pitkanen's face, which prompted several teammates to step in the way. The biggest surprise? Pitkanen didn't even attempt to get back at Fedoruk. He took the punch and stood there, waiting to get hit again.

Interviewed after practice, Fedoruk said, "[S]omewhere along the way, this team has lost its identity of Flyers hockey and what it means to be a Flyer . . . We need to create an identity."

I, for one, would like that identity not to include standing around waiting to get punched in the face.

Home-ice advantage?

According to an ESPN.com survey of 141 current players, we Flyers fans are the most intimidating in the league. 24% of the players asked said that the Philadelphia Flyers have the most intimidating fans in the league.

I would have figured this as a no-brainer during the Broad Street Bullies days. Now, when it's all suits in luxury boxes and empty seats in the lower level, I'm not so sure.

The strangest answer on the question has to be that Columbus received 1% of the vote. Seriously -- Columbus? Who's afraid to play there?

Other questions asked include best natural scorer, best coach, toughest player, and dirtiest player.

Vegas, baby, Vegas

Kara Yorio of The Sporting News pushes the notion that the NHL should head to Sin City forthwith:
This week's All-Star Game in Dallas may have been a dazzling event, but the NHL still should take note of next month's NBA version of the midseason exhibition. Basketball's best will be playing in Las Vegas. It's a big step, and some say it means the NBA will put a franchise there someday.

The NHL should beat the NBA to it.
Yorio goes on to suggest that there's jackpot waiting in Vegas for the NHL:
So end the hypocrisy, start the hype. It would mean money and exposure and even some new fans.

[ . . . ]

The NHL once went west in search of new fans and riches. Go again. Follow the bright lights and stop short of the coast. Move the next relocating team to Vegas. Odds are, it'll pay off big.
While her idea makes sense in theory, I just can't see it happening. At least not while the current, dinosaur-esque Board of Governors are still around.

Forsberg staying put, for now

Flyers management was on the defensive again yesterday, denying a television report out of Denver that had center Peter Forsberg in contact with officials from the Avalanche. According to a report in the Denver Post, a radio host out of Quebec proposed a Forsberg for Jose Theodore trade, which would be just awful for the Flyers. At this point, they should be looking to shed payroll, not adding to it.

Check out John Buccigross' column this week for a list of possible destinations for Forsberg.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Serena living large Down Under

Anyone who has watched the Australian Open these past two weeks has to be surprised by two things -- the size of Serena Williams and the incredible run she's on (she'll play Maria Sharapova in the final tomorrow). To the critics of Williams' seeming out-of-shape-ness (yeah, I know, that was awful grammar) and lack of competition, Peter Bodo says shut up and enjoy watching a champion work.
So it's about time that critics stopped whining about the quality of the competition, or the way the other women shatter like dropped crockery the minute Serena fixates on them with that disconcerting, hard stare. This isn't about the shortcomings of WTA pros. It's about the strength and will of Serena Williams. This clearly is a woman with a big appetite that isn't satisfied by mere food.

Keep in mind that Williams played in all of four tournaments last year while dealing with injuries. Her last tournament of the year was the US Open, where she lost in the fourth round.

After roughly four months off, to make a Grand Slam her second tournament back -- and to make it to the final to boot -- is just amazing. For a long time I was not a fan of Williams. The level of play and the drive to win that she has exhibited in the last two weeks has changed my mind.

For a preview of the final from ESPN analyst Mary Carillo, click here.

West beats East, 12-9

The 55th NHL All-Star Game took place in Dallas last night with the Western Conference topping the East 12-9. Buffalo Sabres forward Daniel Briere was named the game's MVP after recording a goal and four assists. Columbus' Rick Nash and Minnesota's Brian Rolston paced the West with two goals apiece.

The game may best be remembered not for what happened on the ice, but rather for conversations among the broadcasters. Miked for sound were New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco. They were both scheduled to have a running commentary with the broadcasters in booth -- until Brodeur's mike was destroyed by a Rolston slapshot.

Turco carried on brilliantly, though, and really seemed to enjoy what he was doing. The banter between Turco and the booth was genuine, witty, and, thankfully, not forced in any way. The funniest part was when Turco was talking to the booth only to have to make a save in the middle of a sentence -- and then kept going without missing a beat.

It was a gimmick to be sure, but one that worked fantastically.

Another take on Bettman

James Mirtle points to Stephen Brunt's article in The Globe and Mail which makes the argument that the NHL's Board of Governors are more to blame for the current state of the league than Commissioner Gary Bettman. A valid and worthwhile point to be sure, but for me the best part of the post is a comment left by an anonymous poster featuring this line:
[T]here will be no SANE schedule changes, no SANE expansion team placements, no SANE new team placements, and on and on and on, until the ENTIRE crop of current BOGs either retires or expires and new BOGs with fresh ideas, knowledge of the fan base, knowledge of the game and the foresight to accept smaller inconveniences for the future greater good of the league come out of the woodwork. And don't bother waiting for that to happen anytime soon, even dinosaurs lived for millions of years...
"Even dinosaurs lived for millions of years" -- what a great line. I probably would have said "even Bob Clarke had to resign," but that's me.

Hitting below the border

Two of the better hockey bloggers out there -- Tom Benjamin and Eric McErlain -- are engaged in an argument over the future of the NHL. It all started with an argument over attendance figures in the NHL, which led to TB arguing for an all-Canadian hockey league and, most recently, Eric's reply.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Hello, World

Welcome to my blog. I first started out at There It Is and while I enjoyed my time there, I was not happy with many aspects of the site and what I was doing. So here I am, reborn at Dynamo 26.

This site will feature mostly hockey content -- and mostly Flyers content at that -- but will also have commentary on many other topics including movies, music, books, politics, etc, etc, that other blogs cover ad nauseam. In the sidebar you will find the standings for my fantasy hockey league -- yes, my team name is Dynamo -- along with a lengthy list of links.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and please, come again.